MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The No. 3 Wisconsin women's hockey team dropped a 5-3 battle to No. 2 Minnesota on Friday night at Ridder Arena.

Maddi Wheeler, Kirsten Simms and Casey O'Brien all scored for the Badgers (13-4-0, 9-4-0-0-1-0 WCHA), but it wasn't enough to rally past the Golden Gophers (14-2-1, 10-2-1-0-1-1 WCHA). 

The Gophers struck first in the opening frame, but a one-timer from Wheeler just 46 seconds later tied up the game. 

The Badgers took a 2-1 lead on a power play goal by Simms as the Badgers had a five-minute power play in the middle of the first. However the Gophers tied up the game later in the period to make a 2-2 game. 

The Gophers capitalized on their chances in the second period to hold a 4-2 lead headed into the final 20 minutes.

The Gophers struck early in the third period to take a 5-2 advantage

O'Brien found the back of the net with less than five minutes to go in the frame, but UW was unable to tack on any more goals in the period. 

Three Notes of the Game
- Wisconsin outshot Minnesota 36-22, including a 12-4 advantage in the final period.
- Simms scored her team-leading 14th goal of the season. The sophomore now sits at 32 points, which is tied for the team lead and matches the number of points she posted in her rookie season. 
- Simms and Caroline Harvey each now have 18 assists, which is tied for the second most in the WCHA. The sophomore duo only ranks behind teammate Britta Curl, who has 20 helpers. 

Up Next: The Badgers and Golden Gophers wrap up their series on Saturday with a 2 p.m. tilt at Ridder Arena. Fans can watch the game in the Madison area on TVW (Channel 3-2), listen on The Game 1070 AM or watch online through Big Ten Plus.